Boots to prevent injury to the back of horses front pastern bones and hoofs when running and doing hard maneuvers, such as in various competitions like jumping, barrel racing, roping, cutting, etc. are known, and it is also known to form a protrusion on the inside of the boot that fits into the depression in the back of each front hoof to hold the boot in place and to prevent turning. It is known to make equine boots by sandwiching a foam layer between exposed layers of cloth as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,026. It is also known to make the boots using a series of vertical panels as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Re 32,930. It is also known to use different types of fasteners such as that shown in these and other patents, including Velcro® straps, leather straps with various kinds of buckles, laces and cleats, etc. Boots like the one described in this last named patent did not function satisfactorily as explained in column 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,026 previously cited above.
A typical prior art boot is constructed of a foam core, covered on the inside with a soft fabric and on the outside with a nylon fabric. A raised generally triangular protrusion exists in the center portion of the top inside of the boot for fitting at the back of a horse's front hoof. A scuff pad is attached on the exterior of that portion of the boot covering the back of the hoof. The prior art boot is separated generally in the center of the front of the hoof and is continuous around the rest of the hoof. The boot is secured in place with a Velcro® fastener. This boot works well in good conditions, but can be pushed upward when the horse is maneuvering vigorously in mud, water and/or sand exposing the vulnerable rear portion of the front hoofs.
The rear of the boot is often made of a tough, but cushiony material, which, under good conditions, protects the vulnerable rear area behind the horse's front hooves. However, although there are many different kinds of boots to protect horses' front hoofs, all suffer a characteristic that still allows injury in certain conditions. Those conditions are water, sand, sawdust and mud. When the horse is running in or jumping into several inches of water, mud, sawdust or sand, the water, mud, sawdust or sand pushes the boot upward exposing the vulnerable area behind the front hoof, allowing the boot to turn and allowing the front of the rear hoof to strike the vulnerable area injuring the rear portion of the horse's coronet and/or pastern and/or the bulb of the heel of the hoof.
It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,662,537 to attach a bell portion extending above the tops of prior art height boots to prevent the boot from moving up the horses leg, leaving the vulnerable portions unexposed. This boot works good, but some prefer a shorter and more compact boot. A more compact boot that will not turn even in mud, water or sand is therefore very desirable and meets a long felt need.